A strong voice for the Town

This week the Bury Free Press printed the first of a series of articles about us. The Bury Society has fought for the town for over 50 years. Our membership forms a strong, respected community voice for those making decisions affecting Bury St Edmunds.

The text of the first article is below.

Welcome to this, the first of a series of monthly articles on the current and past work of the Bury St Edmunds Society CIO, and the importance of it remaining a strong and vibrant voice for the townspeople.

Love for our town’s heritage, environment, and future development has not diminished over the 50 years existence of the Bury Society. Recent events including the pandemic, global warming and rising cost of living, have shown that the totally unexpected can have a great impact upon our town and daily lives. Yet, despite these pressures, Bury St Edmunds is still a desirable place to live, work and visit, retaining its essential character through the preservation of its core buildings, original layout and heritage.

Reviewing planning applications is an important element in our work. The key is to accept that the town must change with the times to grow and prosper. It must also be an affordable place to live for those struggling with rising prices and that is why the charity scrutinises planning applications to ensure provisions for social housing is at the forefront.

Those living in or around the town are often unaware of the wider activities of the Bury Society. An example is Bury in Bloom, a sub-committee of the society working with the local authorities, businesses, community and educational representatives to enhance the townscape. It is an increasingly important part of the society’s work to strive for a cleaner, greener and more beautiful town.

As the town’s civic charity we try to create a social environment for our members, friends and families. Each year we run a mix of social events in the town and further afield. The next two town events include a coffee and cake morning on Saturday 24^th October and a quiz night on Friday 10^th November. All of our events provide opportunities to socialise across all generations.

The membership is the lifeblood of the society. It is run by and relies upon volunteers who give their valuable time because they care about the town and its future. We constantly strive to appeal to all age groups and more importantly, the wider catchment area. It is a myth that the society exists only for those who live in the town, and we would very much encourage membership from the more recent developments to ensure we reflect the changing demographics and ever- expanding town. 

The Bury Society & Bury in Bloom have linked websites which are constantly being updated with news, comment, activities and membership details. Take a look – www.burysociety.com.  Our social media underlines the latest information. We also use the Bury Society Review, a full colour newsletter, distributed to members 3 times a year, to keep all our membership in touch with our activities and even what is being done ‘behind the scenes’. It also allows space for other voluntary organisations to highlight their activities and is part of the modest membership package.

Having set the scene, over the coming months we will show how we have made things happen, sometimes by making our voice heard on planning and environment issues in our town, sometimes by providing financial support and working closely with other organisations. Above all, we want to encourage you to have a say in the future of your town. Whatever your interests, The Bury Society has something to offer you.